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Universe 'Could Condense Into Jelly'
BBC ^
| 9-6-2001
| Helen Briggs
Posted on 09/06/2001 4:07:20 PM PDT by blam
Thursday, 6 September, 2001, 10:39 GMT 11:39 UK
Universe 'could condense into jelly'
By BBC News Online's Helen Briggs
The Universe may be in a state where matter could disintegrate at any moment, a scientist has warned.
But the probability is less than that of buying two lottery tickets in the same week that both win the lottery, said Dr Benjamin Allanach of the European laboratory for particle physics, CERN, in Geneva.
"The fact that the Universe has existed for 15 billion years should tell you it's not likely to happen tomorrow," he told the British Association Festival of Science in Glasgow. "The probability of it happening is tiny."
The idea behind such a catastrophic possibility is supersymmetry. This theory of the Universe states that every particle that makes up matter has a heavier ghostly partner that has similar but not identical properties.
If true, current data implies that the Universe must be perched on an unstable vacuum and "could suddenly condense into jelly and cause this catastrophe", said Dr Allanach.
Ghostly particle
The danger is that a jelly of the ghostly partner of the quark could form spontaneously at any moment, changing the laws of physics of the whole Universe.
Light would stop shining, electricity would no longer work and the matter that makes up us, the Earth and the stars would disintegrate to form a different kind of matter, said Dr Allanach.
This disaster scenario caused some initial nightmares, he said. But further calculations showed that the probability of it actually happening was miniscule, even in a time as long as the age of our Universe.
The actual probability is one in 13 million squared, he said.
TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: darkenergy; darkmatter
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Geez....and I've been worried about comet and meteor impacts. (We're all gonna die!)
1
posted on
09/06/2001 4:07:20 PM PDT
by
blam
To: blam Lazamataz OWK
Actually, I thought it was supposed to be Cheese instead of Jam.
2
posted on
09/06/2001 4:09:34 PM PDT
by
KC Burke
To: blam
"The fact that the Universe has existed for 15 billion years should tell you it's not likely to happen tomorrow," All the more reason to be afraid... How much longer can our luck hold out?
To: blam
Dang it, I was hoping for cruchy peanutbutter.
To: blam
I'll have a peanut butter and universe jelly sandwitch for lunch today, please. ;)
5
posted on
09/06/2001 4:10:38 PM PDT
by
Frohickey
To: KC Burke
That's because green jam would be disgusting. (Green jelly, on the other hand, would not.)
6
posted on
09/06/2001 4:11:51 PM PDT
by
Redcloak
(I'm not entirely sure about green cheese)
To: blam
Light would stop shining, electricity would no longer workDoes that mean that the universe is turning into California?
7
posted on
09/06/2001 4:12:26 PM PDT
by
scouse
To: blam
Scientists Say Universe Collapsing
Thousands flee cities.
8
posted on
09/06/2001 4:12:45 PM PDT
by
gcruse
To: TN4Liberty
Sell you jelly stock, hurry!
9
posted on
09/06/2001 4:12:49 PM PDT
by
blam
To: blam
Reminds me of Bill Cosby's comments on senility; "...my grandfather told me not to worry about senility - if you get it, you won't know it..."
10
posted on
09/06/2001 4:15:22 PM PDT
by
jonno
To: gcruse
Scientists Say Universe Collapsing Thousands flee cities. ROFL....very loudly!!!
To: blam
And the headline would be:
UNIVERSE ENDS! WOMEN AND MINORITIES HARDEST HIT!
12
posted on
09/06/2001 4:17:42 PM PDT
by
Ramius
To: blam
Never fear! Captain ToeJam will save the universe!
To: blam
Dang. We're all just so much unfinished jelly. Crap.
To: Focault's Pendulum
Hmm... the universe ending would be particularly ironic for you, Mr. Focault... having just now finally gotten logged on. Sort of God's way of saying: "Psych!!!"
15
posted on
09/06/2001 4:20:31 PM PDT
by
Ramius
To: Ramius
Good start but I like:
REPUBLICANS DOING NOTHING AS UNIVERSE ENDS! WOMEN AND MINORITIES HARDEST HIT!
16
posted on
09/06/2001 4:21:22 PM PDT
by
KC Burke
To: gcruse
Scientists Say Universe Collapsing "Poor and minorities to suffer most." -- Washington Post
To: KC Burke
Ah yes... good edit.
18
posted on
09/06/2001 4:22:36 PM PDT
by
Ramius
To: KC Burke
OK, you beat me that time! :(
To: blam
every particle that makes up matter has a heavier ghostly partner Here's proof:
20
posted on
09/06/2001 4:22:56 PM PDT
by
LJLucido
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